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"I need a New PC!" 2013 Part 2. Haswell = #IntelnoTIM, but free online. READ THE OP.

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Crisco

Banned
Is it worth getting a full blown mini-ITX mobo with a Haswell socket for a dedicated NAS machine? Or should I get some sort of embedded Atom motherboard or an APU from AMD?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Is that the APU that Digital Foundry/anonymous developer article was claiming PC gamers should invest in? Apparently because it'll be more in line with PS4/Xbox One architecture?
Yep.
Is it worth getting a full blown mini-ITX mobo with a Haswell socket for a dedicated NAS machine? Or should I get some sort of embedded Atom motherboard or an APU from AMD?
Do you want it to do anything besides host files?

Will you be assembling large chunks of files into single files once they are done downloading, such as through Newsgroups?

How about hosting a PLEX server to encode media at different bit rates for streaming to android/iOS/TV?

If no to either of those things, or other similar things, then Atom. If yes or maybe, then might want to look at an i3 or i5 Ivy.
 

rafbanaan

Member
The covers are on the interior.

Positive pressure pushes the air from inside the case out through any available hole though.

Alright, thanks. The Fractal Design Define R4 it is ^^

How about the Corsair HX650? I've checked some reviews and the most were positive.
 

Crisco

Banned
Yep.

Do you want it to do anything besides host files?

Will you be assembling large chunks of files into single files once they are done downloading, such as through Newsgroups?

How about hosting a PLEX server to encode media at different bit rates for streaming to android/iOS/TV?

If no to either of those things, or other similar things, then Atom. If yes or maybe, then might want to look at an i3 or i5 Ivy.

I was kinda thinking of running some dummy NAS OS like http://www.nas4free.org/ and doing the actual media server stuff/downloading on my main desktop. A dedicated media server is tempting too though.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Alright, thanks. The Fractal Design Define R4 it is ^^

How about the Corsair HX650? I've checked some reviews and the most were positive.
CoolerMaster V series, Seasonic G series, XFX Pro series would be what you want to look at.

The HX is pretty noisy and suffers from a weird chirping noise issue.
 

Tochimami

Neo Member
Dear GAFers,

Im planning to build a brand new pc! (no shit sherlock) This is my first post ever on GAF, sorry if I violate forum rules, It wasn't on purpose! English is not my first language, sorry for any grammar errors.
Time to start it, yes?

I want a silent case for sure, prefer as small as possible. Mid tower max! A sleek design is a must. (thinking about Lian Li PC-B10)
Another thing I need is atleast 3-4 vram for my rendering software Lumion. I tried Crossfire or SLI but it doesn't work. :(

Your Current Specs: Use my laptop at the moment. HP Elitebook 8560w.
Budget: 2000 euro's, netherlands.
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Gaming 4, Video Editing 3, 3D/Model work 5 ( Sketchup 8, Lumion 3 pro and Autocad), General Usage 3 (Word, Web, 1080p playback).
Monitor Resolution: Im using a iiyama ProLite B2776HDS 1920 x 1080p. I'm not planning to buy a new monitor in the near future.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Is 30FPS acceptable? 60? 120? How important is PhysX / SuperSampling / CUDA to you? Games should run atleast 60 fps. Mainly playing battlefield and might be playing future mmo's like the day z standalone or The elderscrolls online! CUDA will be helpfull with some rendering software.
Looking to reuse any parts?: Nope, all new :)
When will you build?: I want to build in the next month!
Will you be overclocking?: Yes!

Thanks for reading my post!

Greetings from the dutch, Tochimami!
 

mkenyon

Banned
Probably the 'Excellent' build with a Fractal Define R4 and a GTX780 is what you want to be looking at. Maybe swap in the 4770K.
 
Hi Gaf'ers!

I recently bought my Son a new PC, I've been out of the PC gaming game a long long time, the last gaming PC I had was about 15 years ago.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to buy the parts and build it myself or with my Son, so had to go for something off the shelf.

I went for an HP Envy 700-06ea

The Spec's are an i7-4770 3.4ghz, 16GB DDR3, a 1.5GB GDDR5 GTX660.

It seems to run everything at Ultra settings at 1920x1080 so far (max res of the Monitor which is an HP Pavilion 23xi) but I was wondering if there is anything I should do to maximise the performance? I'm using the latest Nvidia Drivers (not the Beta ones) and have the GeForce Experience installed.

I do seem to get some strange pauses when watching Videos full screen on things like Youtube or Game Trailers etc, the Audio continues but the video will pause and then when it starts again it will go back to where it paused (audio and video) and continue to play.

I've got Windows 8 installed (I know but it came pre-loaded).

Is it worth putting an SSD in this thing?

Sorry if this post is in the wrong section, this is my first post on NeoGAF!
 

Polymath

Neo Member
Ordered some new parts for my annual refill of my loop.
Summer is pretty much over and i want to go all fancy again and add some UV acid green for a few months.

-Feser One Cooling Fluid - UV ACID GREEN
-Tygon R3603 - HighFlow - 7/16 ID - 5/8 OD - Clear tubes
-XSPC RS120 Black (as addition on my RX360)
-Corsair SP120 High Performance Edition (4x)

Will post pictures tomorrow or in the weekend depending on when i have time.
 

Donkey

Banned
I haven't seen it, but do we have a good NeoGAF Overclock thread? I might try this and just get a new GPU (I dunno what to get yet, though).

I could be wrong but the Hyper 212+ Evo model may support your socket AND newer 1150 and 1155 sockets as well. That way you could use the same heatsink in the future when you upgrade.

Might want to double check the spec though, I'm not 100% sure.
 

rafbanaan

Member
Hmmm, an 550W or 650W power supply for an GTX 680? I know a 550 is enough, but i'm in a doubt tbh :p

I would later upgrade to a GTX 880.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Hmmm, an 550W or 650W power supply for an GTX 680? I know a 550 is enough, but i'm in a doubt tbh :p

I would later upgrade to a GTX 880.
Which PSUs are you looking at? Much more matters than the listed wattage spec.
Hi Gaf'ers!

I recently bought my Son a new PC, I've been out of the PC gaming game a long long time, the last gaming PC I had was about 15 years ago.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to buy the parts and build it myself or with my Son, so had to go for something off the shelf.

I went for an HP Envy 700-06ea

The Spec's are an i7-4770 3.4ghz, 16GB DDR3, a 1.5GB GDDR5 GTX660.

It seems to run everything at Ultra settings at 1920x1080 so far (max res of the Monitor which is an HP Pavilion 23xi) but I was wondering if there is anything I should do to maximise the performance? I'm using the latest Nvidia Drivers (not the Beta ones) and have the GeForce Experience installed.

I do seem to get some strange pauses when watching Videos full screen on things like Youtube or Game Trailers etc, the Audio continues but the video will pause and then when it starts again it will go back to where it paused (audio and video) and continue to play.

I've got Windows 8 installed (I know but it came pre-loaded).

Is it worth putting an SSD in this thing?

Sorry if this post is in the wrong section, this is my first post on NeoGAF!
I recommend SSDs as a standard device. Everything is so damn snappy.

Not sure what's going on with the youtube video issue though.
 

Azulsky

Member
Motion blur doesn't count as IQ?

If modern shooters are anything to go by it is worth burning up video card memory and cycles to induce blur artificially.

It does not drastically affect my usage on my u2407 or u2410. Obviously to such a degree that I am investing further into the same tech.

I have other grievances as well that I dont want to bore you with.

A friend of mine is getting the Asus 24'' 144Hz so I will get some hands on time to see what all the fuss is about.

As the U2410 is getting sold to a friend I might have room for a catleap/qnix in a few months. I dont particularly care for having to buy something that might not overclock. Maybe ASUS will pick up the slack and sell a 27" 1440p 144Hz Lightboost IPS monitor.
 
Which PSUs are you looking at? Much more matters than the listed wattage spec.

I recommend SSDs as a standard device. Everything is so damn snappy.

Not sure what's going on with the youtube video issue though.


Thanks, I've tried googling to no avail about the video playback issue, I'm hoping it will be one of those weird glitches that goes away with some random patch.

If I get an SSD I just want it for the OS right? so it doesn't need to be huge?

Do you think this rig will last a few years gaming wise?
 

mkenyon

Banned
Thanks, I've tried googling to no avail about the video playback issue, I'm hoping it will be one of those weird glitches that goes away with some random patch.

If I get an SSD I just want it for the OS right? so it doesn't need to be huge?

Do you think this rig will last a few years gaming wise?
I prefer to put everything on the SSD. 128GB or 240GB are good price points.

With a video card upgrade (which may require a PSU upgrade, maybe not though) it will last for a good long while.
If modern shooters are anything to go by it is worth burning up video card memory and cycles to induce blur artificially.

It does not drastically affect my usage on my u2407 or u2410. Obviously to such a degree that I am investing further into the same tech.

I have other grievances as well that I dont want to bore you with.

A friend of mine is getting the Asus 24'' 144Hz so I will get some hands on time to see what all the fuss is about.

As the U2410 is getting sold to a friend I might have room for a catleap/qnix in a few months. I dont particularly care for having to buy something that might not overclock. Maybe ASUS will pick up the slack and sell a 27" 1440p 144Hz Lightboost IPS monitor.
IPS or TN doesn't designate immediate quality in terms of picture. The only real benefit, in terms of color, is off angles. If you align your good TN panel to your face, it's unlikely the difference would be noticeable.

IMO, the reason why we strive for things like a good framerate is to improve the illusion of motion. In fact, that's what you want a gaming monitor to do really well. 144/120Hz does that in spades.

I'm only giving you grief because I've noticed a lot of folks still holding on to their IPS monitors as a result of arguments that existed years ago and probably confirmation bias. It's not the same dichotomy it once was.
 
Damn, I just found out this cheap ass 3770 system I bought is coming in a mini tower. I hope I don't have issues fitting a good card. Think a 460 watt power supply will power a 7950?
 
Sorry about the bad picture. It's taken from a phone.

i6uMJMi47pt9d.JPG


Finished my build.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
PSA:
Cooler Master has steep discounts on it's V-series of PSUs right now. These to my understanding are nearly Platinum supplies based and improved off of Seasonic's X platform. Pretty much the best power delivery you can buy at half the price.

V700 is $95 AR 20% off with promo code EMCXLXP25, ends 9/12
V850 is $105 AR $35 off w/ promo code EMCXLWV236, ends 9/18


Damn, I just found out this cheap ass 3770 system I bought is coming in a mini tower. I hope I don't have issues fitting a good card. Think a 460 watt power supply will power a 7950?
Depends on the PSU. Also fitting a 10" full height card could be a problem.
 

Azulsky

Member
Damn, I just found out this cheap ass 3770 system I bought is coming in a mini tower. I hope I don't have issues fitting a good card. Think a 460 watt power supply will power a 7950?

Yes.

With max TDP on CPU and GPU you will be pulling 300 watts. Add in 50 for your drives and a bit of overhead and you still have 100W left. If the PSU has the current ratings for the PCIE cables then you should be good to go.

Case could be a whole different can of worms.
 
PSA:
Cooler Master has steep discounts on it's V-series of PSUs right now. These to my understanding are nearly Platinum supplies based and improved off of Seasonic's X platform. Pretty much the best power delivery you can buy at half the price.

V700 is $95 AR 20% off with promo code EMCXLXP25, ends 9/12
V850 is $105 AR $35 off w/ promo code EMCXLWV236, ends 9/18



Depends on the PSU. Also fitting a 10" full height card could be a problem.

Yes.

With max TDP on CPU and GPU you will be pulling 300 watts. Add in 50 for your drives and a bit of overhead and you still have 100W left. If the PSU has the current ratings for the PCIE cables then you should be good to go.

Case could be a whole different can of worms.

Well it's a Dell xps 8500. I've heard their power supplies are pretty good? Bad news is I found the specs on the case:

17.49 inches height
7.30 inches width
16 inches depth

What could I work with in this?
 

factorybelt

Neo Member
Well it's a Dell xps 8500. I've heard their power supplies are pretty good? Bad news is I found the specs on the case:

17.49 inches height
7.30 inches width
16 inches depth

What could I work with in this?

this thread over on the Dell forums has a picture of a 660 installed and working in that case. A few other threads discussing card length as well.

I think you are okay.
 

Snowman

Member
So I'm getting a new PC and don't know much at all really. How good is the nvidia gtx 650? I'm not super bothered about having the best graphics, I just want to be able to play any new game coming out any time soon with a decent frame rate, think this'll do?
 

Coldsnap

Member
Any way to prevent a game from reducing screens per second when it's loading a new area? I'm playing Amnesia A Machine for Pigs and I feel like the game is dropping frames every few rooms to load stuff. Playing on a i5 3570k @ 4.7, GTX 780, and SSD. Game doesn't look particularly good and seems to run terrible.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Will definitely be watching out for those!

Agreed on the 540. In terms of layout and design, it's nearly perfect. Will be adding that to the OP in a hurry!
 

graywolf323

Member
so I have a question for desktop GAF

I've been gaming on laptops for a while now but was thinking of finally getting a gaming desktop (it would be my first one) but after some research it seems maybe I should just try to make by with my new macbook air and the PS4 when it releases this fall and wait until next year to build a gaming desktop because of all the new tech coming (like DDR4, SATA-Express, Broadwell, Maxwell, etc.)

basically would it be wise to wait?

edit: also any thoughts on Ivy Bridge-E would be appreciated ^_^ I had been looking at the Alienware Aurora because I have a credit line with Dell

edit 2: the fact that BF4's recommended specs request 3GB of VRAM make me nervous to get the GTX 780 in SLI since it only has 3GB of VRAM instead of 4GB (seems odd to me since the 780M has 4GB)
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
Somehow I didn't know about the Corsair 540 Air; it definitely has my interest. An all aluminum version would be amazing.
 

mkenyon

Banned
Somehow I didn't know about the Corsair 540 Air; it definitely has my interest. An all aluminum version would be amazing.
My thoughts exactly. Would kill for the same thing made by Lian Li or Silverstone. The CaseLabs M8 is about as close as you get as it is.
 
My thoughts exactly. Would kill for the same thing made by Lian Li or Silverstone. The CaseLabs M8 is about as close as you get as it is.

My friend bought one and I got to check it out. Nice layout but the case feels cheap, thin bendy steel everywhere. The money isn't going to the build quality for sure. Or maybe Caselabs has spoiled me!
 

Deitus

Member
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.98 @ Outlet PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($149.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($57.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston SSDNow V300 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($203.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $906.23
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-08 20:19 EDT-0400)

I posted before that I was going to take a look at this, but I didn't get a chance to post afterward. I ended up going with all of this. I was expecting to look at this, determine that it wasn't quite what I wanted, readjust my price range, and come back for more assistance. But instead, I was quite impressed with the apparent performance I could get for that dollar amount. I'm not going to run anything at 4k, but that's not what I'm aiming for, and for my goals this far surpassed my expectations. So thanks again for helping me out with this.

It ended up being a bit over 1000 after adding in a Windows license, plus tax and shipping. If I was in less of a rush I might have taken more time to shop around to get the absolute lowest price, but that wasn't in the cards. Not that I'm complaining; it's still a good deal by my assessment.

The worst part about waiting for my parts to be shipped is that they all arrive at different times, but I can't actually use them until I have them all. Some of the original estimates had parts coming anytime from next week until the 30th, which would have sucked. Luckily, I now have everything except the Video Card, the RAM, and the CPU cooler, which with any luck should arrive sometime tomorrow. I can take some pictures when I start the assembly if you guys are interested.


Anyway PC GAF, I do still have a few questions that will probably sound dumb to you guys, but here goes.

1. I will have 2 4 GB sticks of DDR3 1866 RAM that I bought for the new PC, and I have several 1 GB DDR3 1066 sticks left over from my old PC, and there are 4 RAM slots on my motherboard. It's generally a bad idea to mix RAM of different speeds right? But for future upgrades is it okay to mix different memory sizes, i.e. if I buy a couple 8 GB of 1866 later on, would that be fine?

2. I bought an SSD, but I plan to re-use my HDD as well. Currently my HDD has Windows Vista on it, but I will be installing Windows 8 on the new PC. I'm guessing I will want to reformat the HDD for long term use, but would I be able to mount it as is in the short term, so that I can retrieve all of my files from it before doing a reformat? I did not make a backup, so I need some way to get the data off that drive.

3. I've never used an SSD before, but mine will definitely not have enough capacity to store everything. Obviously I would want my OS on the SSD, and a handful of games I am currently playing, while the bulk of my storage would go on the HDD. Is there anything else I would definitely want to put on the SDD, or anything that I really shouldn't put on there?

4. Along with the previous question, if I'm only storing a small portion of my games library on my SSD at any given time, about how long does it take to move games on and off of the SSD? Edit: I realize that question was a bit too generic to have a specific answer, so assume the games in question are 10 GB.
 
I will get 144Hz when there are no IQ compromises.

Didn't think I would, but I now feel the same way. Played with a friends new xl2420te for like a day and even though the higher frame rate was really nice, and definitely noticeable compared to a constant 60, I could not get the colors to not look washed out, and the closer I got to settings to improve it, the more the blacks started being indistinguishable. Couldn't stand it and found that I would prefer a constant 60 with better blacks and colors instead of 144.

Of course ymmv and I don't play any competitive fps really.
 
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